Blue Lotus
by ChickWithTheShortHair
Summary: Poor Aoi. Girls are confessing to him, guys are mocking him, and now he has been pushed from his spot as number one net idol. Enter Ren, a boy who seems flawless, and absolutely problem-less. But the Lotus Prince has many dark secrets...
1. Chapter 1: The Beginnings of a Spark

Okay, a little note before the story begins. Aoi, in this story, has two wigs. His blonde one, which is for him being Aoi-chan. And then he has another, which is the same color as his natural hair, but is long and straight with bangs. He uses the dark one for school, and uses it much more than his blonde one in this fan fiction. Now, for the story!

... ... ...

It was just after school, and though many kids had gone home, a large handful had remained for various reasons; sports, clubs, the student council meeting... However, Aoi was simply hanging around until Misaki's shift at the cafe began. Glancing at the clock, he noted he still had hour until the student council meeting ended. Aoi certainly wasn't going home yet; his father would take the opportunity to harp at him more. Even though he had moved in with his aunt, Mr. Hyoudou came over quite frequently, annoyed that his son had managed to be accepted into Seika...as a girl.

"Nee, Hyoudou-san?"

Aoi snapped out of his thoughts, but didn't look at the girl asking for his attention. Instead, he sighed, ignoring her, and continued to look through his magazine. With everyone believing he was a girl, carrying around such magazines seemed normal. Still, he really loathed being interrupted. He lost himself in the pages quickly, and focused on a intricate dress. It was very cute.

'Maybe I'll get it,' He considered. But he was interrupted once more, as the girl uneasily called his name for a second time. Sighing again, only louder, he closed his magazine, and turned reluctantly to the girl.

'This better be important,' He thought bitterly. Aoi studied her. Another plain girl. He didn't bother to hide his distaste for her. She picked up on it, and shifted her weight uncomfortably.

"What is it?"

"You know, you have the same name as that famous net idol, Aoi-chan." She shrugged, trying to seem like she was totally comfortable. She was failing, miserably. Aoi was known for his cold personality, and not many could hold a real conversation with him; since he never had anything to say to them, talking to him was very one-sided. A few people knew of his fetish for cute things, but trying to speak to him about it was near impossible; his icy aura kept them back.

Aoi gave a half-shrug in return. Little did the girl know, he was the very net idol she spoke of. He stood and pivoted, his back facing her. "Whatever."

"She is impressive, having the second most viewed site on the net."

Aoi spun around, the dark hair of his wig sweeping around. Second?! The girl's eyes opened wide in shock at the sudden attention. But before she could speak, he raced to the nearest computer room, leaving her behind, calling his name. With a slam, the door slid open, startling the people at the computers. Aoi leapt to a seat, typed in the address, and waited impatiently, tapping on the desk. He noticed people staring, and stopped in mid-tap.

"What?!" He yelled, clearly agitated. They all dropped their gazes, embarrassed, but peeked up again as he turned back to the monitor, curious as to why the usually calm Hyoudou-san was so worked up. But he paid them no mind, his eyes glued to the loading screen. The page popped up, and his hand flew to the mouse, and he scrolled down to the views. Several thousand, nearing a million. He hit the backspace once with a sharp click, and changed the search to 'net idol'. It loaded faster this time. As Aoi's eyes fell on the site holding the first slot, his heart stopped.

It wasn't his; his site was in second place. The boring girl from the hall was right. Dead right.

... ... ...

"Aoi seems kinda down." Misaki noted, bent over the counter. It was break time, and with the cafe practically empty, everyone just hung around the staff room, with someone going out occasionally to serve and wait tables. Usui shrugged, leaning against the wall. Misaki glared.

"Why are you here?" Another shrug. Misaki wanted to smack him.

"It's his website."

Misaki glanced to her right in surprise. "Manager!"

The manager smiled, but continued to study Aoi, sulking in the corner, with worried eyes. She heaved a sigh.

"His website is now ranked second. I guess someone is more popular." She shook her head, as if she saw the whole thing as ridiculous.

"Who's in first?" Usui spoke up, standing next to Misaki. The manager just pointed at a laptop on the counter opposite from them. Subaru, Honoka, and Erika were huddled around it, positive comments floating to Misaki's ears. She came up behind them, Usui following.

"What are you guys looking at?"

Honoka was excited to answer. "Lotus Prince!"

Misaki cocked her head. "Lotus...Prince?"

Subaru elaborated. "Some boy, posting pictures online. Similar to Aoi. Really popular with both girls and boys."

Misaki shuddered, wondering what kind of images he posted. "Both? Ah..."

Honoka gestured impatiently to the screen. "Well, look!"

Misaki obeyed. Wow, she thought, studying the boy on the screen. He certainly was attractive.

"He looks kinda like a girl." Usui commented. They all looked up at him, then simultaneously fixed their gazes on Aoi, now pacing rhythmically. Aoi looked up.

"What?!" He snapped. The other maids lowered their eyes, but Honoka shot daggers at him, not in the mood to deal with a brat.

"Listen here, you stupid stuck-up pretty boy! I won't take attitude from you, so watch your mouth!" She took a step in his direction, and Aoi skittered back, a mixture of confusion, anger and fear. Misaki didn't blame him; a ticked off Honoka was terrifying. But Aoi's mouth took over common sense.

"You watch your own mouth, you hag." He snarled. The blonde woman let out a roar. Aoi really knew how to push people's buttons. Honoka probably would've slaughtered him if it wasn't for Subaru and Erika, who held her arms, and Misaki blocked her from the front. Usui just stood by, clearly humored by the whole scene. Nobody expected the manager to do anything, but she did. She walked up to Aoi, snatching a bag from a chair and tossing it to him. He looked confused and slightly interested, despite himself. He opened it, and was surprised to find one of the maid uniforms and his familiar blonde wig in it.

"Go on. I just heard a customer come in." She winked at him and smiled. Aoi's face lit up. He put the wig on expertly, becoming Aoi-chan once again.

"I'll do my best." He promised, and headed to the dining area, ready to work.

"I'm gonna kill him!" Honoka screeched, struggling against her fellow employees.

"It's Black Honoka!"

"Run, Aoi-chan!"

"Honoka-chan, your shift is over!"

"Ahhhh!"

... ... ...

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Misaki asked, her eyes flicking back and forth from the too-calm manager to her employer's nephew.

"Aoi-chan is much happier! Yay!" The manager enthused, ignoring Misaki's question altogether. But she was right; Aoi served all the customers happily. Plus, Aoi being such a favorite among so many, even more people than usual rushed in, excited to meet the famous net idol. In fact, Aoi was signing autographs with practically each table he served. But eventually the cafe settled down, and Aoi's bright mood dampened ever so slightly.

He went over to the manager for a moment. "Is there anything else I can do?" He asked eagerly, his eyes sparkling.

The manager laughed. "Don't worry, Aoi-chan! Someone else will come soon." She promised.

And she was right; barely a few minutes later, a cluster of high school kids wandered in a few minutes later, a group of boys. They were all relatively handsome, but there was one that clearly stuck out. He had seductive eyes, and dark, medium length spiky hair. He held a startling resemblance to Misaki, only he had a cheerful lightness in his eyes, and a warm smile.

"I'm going." Aoi said, not hesitating to head over to the boys.

Before he could lead them to the table, the dark haired boy's eyes lit up in recognition, and he rose, approaching him with open arms.

"Aoi-chan!" He exclaimed, and he caught the surprised Aoi into a happy embrace, rather enthusiastically, at that. A hush fell over the cafe. Everyone stared, and Misaki felt as if she was turning to ash.

Aoi was just as befuddled. "Excuse me?!"

The boys laughed, and one spoke out. "Slow down there, Ren!"

Ren grinned, holding Aoi out, as if to get a better look at him. "It's good to see you. You're much cuter in person, Onnanoko."

Misaki's face paled. This kid...he didn't know that Aoi was a boy! She came up to him, and gently pushed him away. His friends watched intently, as if this were a television drama. Her hand dropped to the boy's shoulder.

"Sorry, but Aoi-chan...isn't like that." She couldn't just give up Aoi's secret. Instead of being surprised or mad, he just smiled.

"I know." His head tilted faintly to the side. "Misa-chan, right?"

She gave a brief nod. His smile widened.

"Misa-chan...You're cute." He complimented, and leaned forward, kissing her on the cheek. Misaki turned bright red, embarrassed and surprised at his bold affection."EHHH?!"

... ... ...

"So who is he exactly?" Aoi hissed to Misaki. But she was still petrified from the boy's actions earlier. He let out an aggravated sigh.

"It's not as if a celebrity kissed you. And it was-" He cut off, and froze. A violent shiver went down his spine. Why did he feel so cold? He glanced behind him. Usui hung over the kitchen counter, his face dark.

"-just on the cheek..." Aoi trailed off. He actually feared for the boy's life. Usui looked positively homicidal. He watched, terrified, as Misaki's boyfriend drifted like a wraith out to the dining area. He stared sharply at Ren and his friends, who looked up. Ren's face brightened and he waved, not seeming to sense the obvious danger he was in. Usui stood for a second, and suddenly letting out a short laugh that confused Aoi, snapped out of his funk and came back to Misaki. He kissed her on the cheek, in the exact same spot, and shrugged.

"He is the Lotus Prince. Practically a celebrity." He smirked, and Misaki blanched, as Aoi fainted, rather ungracefully. Usui just grinned, and laughed eerily.

"Oh dear." The couple looked up from their fallen friend. It was the Lotus Prince, his friends in tow. A small, regretful smile crossed his face. "Did I do that?"

... ... ...

Aoi moaned, his head pounding, as he awoke. The sudden light blinded him. After blinking several times, his eyes adjusted, and he was able to fully open them. With a quick glance around, he deduced two things; it was getting late, and he had no clue where he was. Neither helped much. With a sigh, he swung his legs off the bed and stood. Maybe if he went through their things...

The door opened with a creak, interrupting his plan to dig around. He whipped around. It was the Lotus Prince. Aoi's confused expression quickly turned into a annoyed one. Just his luck, to be stuck in the same room as the enemy

"What are you doing here? And where is here?"

"This is my house. Where I live."

He didn't like the boy's tone. It was too matter-of-fact. It felt like an insult to Aoi's intelligence.

"How did I get here, anyway?"

"Your aunt asked me to hold onto you until eight or so, and then get you home safely. Neither should be a problem."

Aoi snorted in disbelief. "What's your name again?"

"Ren."

A unisex name. Like his.

"Ren no Aoi. Blue Lotus. I like it." Ren tried aloud, a thoughtful expression on his face. Aoi didn't like it at all.

"Don't-"

Before Aoi could finish, Ren grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the room. After going down some stairs, going through the house until they stopped in the kitchen.

"This is where we'll eat dinner. My treat." Ren winked at him.

Aoi frowned, and tried to pull his hand from his kidnapper's, but was shocked(and angered further)as he realized couldn't. The blue-haired boy didn't think himself weak.

"Are you not comfortable holding hands? Sorry." Ren smiled kindly at Aoi, releasing his hand. "You're so cute, so this must happen a lot, right?"

"Never." He spat, but the black haired boy just kept smiling. The clock rung out hollowly, and Ren's hand was gripping his again, tugging Aoi back up the stairs.

"Now where are we going?"

"Back to my room. We need to get ready for dinner."

After getting inside, he closed the door firmly. He jabbed a thumb to the closet. "You'll find a dress in the very back."

Aoi nodded, his earlier frustration fading, and without thinking twice, opened the closet and pulled out the said article of clothing. They were both boys, so it was fine, right?

Wait. Ren thought Aoi was a girl! Why would Ren be so comfortable changing with someone of the opposite gender? He turned quickly. "Wait, I can't-"

His words cut off abruptly, staring. There Ren stood. Topless. Wearing...a...bra?

"What? Is something wrong?"

Aoi turned bright red. This couldn't be happening. Was she gonna hit him, or scream like in the anime shows he watched?

"I-I-I...I'm a...guy...Are you...a girl?" He stuttered rather stupidly, backing towards the wall slowly.

Ren just stood there, her face blank, which made him even more nervous. Finally, she opened her mouth to speak, and her voice, unbelievably calm, rang out musically, sounding a touch more feminine than before. "Well. This is awkward."

... ... ...

Aoi was crimson red, and he just stared at her mutely, as she began buttoning up her shirt. She caught his eye, and looked at him curiously.

"Is there a problem?"

His jaw clamped shut-he hadn't even noticed it was open until now- and he looked away. "No..."

She had to see through such an obvious lie. But even if she had, she paid it no mind, and slipped into her pants, her attention dropping to clothing herself once again. After a moment of watching her, entranced, something clicked in Aoi's mind; if she was a girl dressing like a guy, and he was a guy dressing like a girl...then...

"You're just like me." He announced loudly, though he had intended to keep the rather obnoxious thought to himself. But Ren just smiled, and Aoi reddened; she had a cute smile, that always made his heart jump. Her eyes, which had been seductive as a guy, now seemed very feminine and alluring. She was actually really beautiful, even clad in men's attire; she had clothed herself completely, and wore a neat black tux. For a fleeting moment, he wondered how she had slipped into it so quick without his notice, but waved away the thought.

"Are you gonna put it on?" Something in her face changed, and her voice dropped a decibel."Or do you want to wear a suit, too?"

Aoi blinked, taken aback, but shook his head. "I was just wondering...well, why?"

He was concerned she didn't understand what he was trying to say. He became frustrated as she just stared at him, and wished he hadn't said anything. Her gaze remained unwavering, though Aoi dropped his eyes to the floor.

"It's a much different reason than yours, I'm sure." Ren said ominously.

He snorted, and forced himself to look up. But her attention had already drifted, and her stare bore into the wall.

"How would you know?"

"Trust me. I do." She didn't look up as she spoke. He wanted to argue, to make her tell him, or prove she really was no different from him. But her distracted cover seemed to conceal something truly unpleasant, and Aoi didn't feel ready to pry. He was actually scared to even skim the surface, let alone dig into the strange girl's past.

Her eyes focused, and glanced up suddenly at him. "Dinner is almost ready."

Aoi dressed hurriedly, and rushed after her. He was strangely eager to learn about Ren's family; unlike her emotions and past, a topic such as home life seemed half-way approachable, and not at all damaging to the girl, who appeared so delicate. But, as they entered the kitchen, he noticed nobody else was around. Just them?

Ren gave a faint nod, answering his unasked question. Her abilities on guessing his thoughts was getting on his nerves. He squinted at her distastefully, but her back was already turned, bringing out the food, which, as Aoi noted grudgingly, smelled pretty good.

"Go ahead and take a seat; I'm practically done."

The blue haired boy obeyed, and traced the table cloth's pattern absentmindedly. The food-he believed it to be stir fry of a sort-sizzled, and soothed the high schooler. He closed his eyes, inhaling appreciatively. A scrape and clink in front of him prompted him to open his eyes with a jolt.

"Jumpy much?" Ren smirked, and Aoi shot a her a scowl. But she laughed, unaffected. She gestured to the plate she had laid in front of him. "Hope you like chanpuru."

He was right; it was stir fry, or as Ren had stated, chanpuru. He took a bite, and was taken aback. It was amazing.

"Judging by your expression, ten out of ten?" Ren estimated. Aoi actually thought it was closer to twenty out of ten, but he stubbornly refused to give her any satisfaction.

"Mediocre. Four out of ten."

Her mouth twisted into a humored grin, that showed she could see though him with ease. "Ouch. How cold of you, Aoi-kun."

He prickled indignantly. "Chan. Aoi-chan."

Ren's face became apologetic, with a touch of understanding. "I am sorry, Aoi-chan." She amended quickly. Aoi dismissed it, turning back to his food. Ren sat as well, and they ate in silence. She didn't seem to mind, eating her food with a finesse Aoi envied. However, the quiet atmosphere just made him uncomfortable. But he kept his mouth shut, and ate his meal quickly. Luckily, Ren finished, and looked to Aoi, beginning to talk, and freed the freshman of his unseen torture.

"So, I hear you are a first year in high school."

Aoi answered with a brief nod; his mouth was full, much to his chagrin. The corners of Ren's mouth turned up, and she went on.

"So, you attend Seika High, then?"

He swallowed quickly. "Yes. So do you. I saw your uniform." He cocked his head. "Why have I never seen you before? You certainly don't blend in."

"Easy. The middle school I went to turned in applications late. Every school receiving a Kaisei junior high student knows of the situation, and accepts the qualified with no hesitation."

Kaisei junior high? Reviews for that school were up there with Miyabigaoka High. Aoi couldn't help wondering why she chose to go a place like Seika.

"It was a group decision."

Aoi looked up. "Huh?"

"The reason me and my friends are attending Seika? It was a group decision. We all tried to go to Miyabigaoka, but one of our friends, Yukito, wasn't able to pay for tuition, but was accepted into Seika academy. So, we all agreed to enroll there." She shrugged. "Simple as that."

'Yeah, simple, sure.' He thought sarcastically, and finished his food as well. Ren took his and her plate, and placed them carefully in the sink. But instead of washing, she brought out more, and filled them with chanpuru.

"What are you-" Aoi was interrupted by two sharp raps on the door.

"Come in, guys!" She called, swiftly adjusting her tie, and gently tossing the cups in the sink as well. Aoi heard the door open, and after a pause, shut again. There was loud conversation and laughter, and the group of boys from Maid Latte walked in, shoving each other playfully. One of them, a tall, fiery red head, noticed Aoi, and raised his eyebrows, letting out a sharp whistle. "Well, well, what do we have here?" His fingers tilted Aoi's chin up, leaning close. Aoi couldn't escape; he was pinned against the wall.

"Aren't you a cutie?" His breath was hot on his face, and Aoi squeezed his eyes shut.

Suddenly, a hand shot out and yanked Aoi from his predicament. An arm curled around his torso, and pulled him close, the other hand cradling Aoi's.

"Sorry, Gintarou," Ren said, her lips grazing Aoi's cheek. "This one is mine."

The young blue haired boy turned a dangerous red, absolutely speechless. Gintarou laughed, shaking his head.

"Okay, okay. Man, I really need to stop hanging out with you. You get all the girls!" The whole gang roared at that, Ren joining in softly, dropping her hands. The rowdy boys sat down, and Ren guided him to a small table seating one, and he sat cautiously.

"Do not worry about them. They are just being themselves. No harm will come to you." She assured him.

"Hey! Ren, where's the food? We're starving!" Gintarou yelled. Aoi glared, but Ren just laughed, and began to head over to them.

"I'll be back in a bit." She moved gracefully to the larger table, and brought the still steaming plates over from the counter, placing them in front of each of her friends, until each had food to eat. After idle chatter, and jokes being tossed around, they downed the rest of their dinner, and began to leave one by one, throwing thanks and farewells over their shoulders. However, Gintarou and one other, a white haired bespectacled boy, lingered.

"The grub was great, Ren. Thanks again." The flame-haired teen glanced over at Aoi, now standing behind Ren, a scowl on his face. Clearly, he didn't like the obnoxious kid much. The other gave a short laugh, adjusting his glasses.

"We must be going, Gintarou."

The red head grumbled, but clasped hands with Ren, grinning. For a moment, the two remained in that stance. Then, Gintarou's face changed, losing its confidence.

"You still won't back down, will you?"

Ren smirked, and let go. "Never."

With once last grin, Gintarou exited, the other boy half out the door.

"I'll be seeing you, Ren. And you too, Aoi. Farewell." The door closed behind him.

Aoi turned to her. "Who was that?"

"Shinji Zakuro was the one with glasses, and Gintarou Futami was the other. I'll formally introduce you tomorrow."

"What did he mean, he'll be seeing me? And how will I see you tomorrow?"

Ren gave him an amused look. "Did you forget, Aoi-chan? We have school." Her eyes sparkled. "I can't wait."


	2. Chapter 2: A Little Exotic of Tastes

As it turned out, Ren lived in the neighboring street, with her house literally back to back with his, making it easy for Aoi to get home. The Ren incident had occurred about a month ago, and he hadn't seen hide nor hair of the strange girl. He had all but forgotten about her. Now, the blue haired teen was scowling at the window, the sun blinding; he didn't have any shades as of yet, due to his father confiscating his girlier ones. Grumbling angrily to himself, he climbed out of bed, slipping into the Seika High uniform. Though it was rather ordinary, the bright colors made it slightly more bearable to wear.

"Aoi-chan, breakfast!" Aunt Satsuki called, prompting Aoi to finish getting ready and head down stairs. The food smelled exceptionally good today, and he hurriedly turned the corner to enter the kitchen.

"Satsuki-chan, what smells so- AHHHH!"

It was her! The girl from...however long ago, dressed once again like a boy. "What are you doing here?" He practically screamed. Ren laughed, wiping her hands, as Aoi's aunt set the table.

"He came by, and was eager to walk to school with you! Oh, I'll do the dishes, Ren." She shooed her to the table. Aoi shot a glare at Ren while Satsuki's back was turned, and took the opportunity to squeeze information out of her.

"Why are you here?" He hissed, leaning in close. Ren smiled softly.

"Your aunt explained that. Now I have a question. Are you going to be a girl at Seika?" She asked boldly.

Aoi blinked, taken aback, but quickly recovered, and gave a short nod. Ren beamed.

"That will make everything easier."

Before Aoi could ask what she meant, Satsuki turned back around, and demanded that Aoi should eat, ending the conversation.

For now.

... ... ...

"How did you manage to get the boy uniform?" Aoi demanded rudely. Ren frowned, looking quite uncomfortable.

"I've dressed like a boy...for a while. I used to live in Tokyo, but due to some, er, difficult circumstances, I moved out here, and currently live on my own. Nobody knows me here, so it's easy to live as a boy." She gave him a sideways glance. "What about you?

Aoi shrugged, staring ahead. "New school. I was the only one from my junior high to go to Seika." Though his father wasn't happy, when Aoi could have attended a much nicer school. Mr. Hyoudou didn't understand that he wanted to go because of the people there, Misaki in particular. He decided he would not mention Ren to him later, when he came to check up on him.

"So, do you know who's class you're in?" Aoi asked, hoping to change the subject. Unless it was a conversation about his adorable dresses and the like, he preferred not to dwell on himself.

"Oh, yeah, I'm in-"

Ren was interrupted as she was tackled by a flash of red hair.

"Ren-chaaan!"

It was a girl, seeming to be around their age, but had a childish voice. She stared up at Ren with overwhelming adoration as she clung to Ren's arm.

"Hello, Midori-chan." She greeted, surprise evident in her eyes. Midori giggled, and hugged her arm.

"Ren?" Aoi shot her a confused and slightly annoyed glance. Who did this stupid cutesy chick think she was?

Ren's attention flew back to Aoi instantly, and he couldn't help feeling smug that Midori was so easily forgotten.

"Aoi, this is Midori. Midori, Aoi."

Aoi studied her, eyelids dimmed. "Mochi." He said sourly, botching her name intentionally.

Midori looked at him, her eyes bugging out of her head. "What?" A dumb smile was plastered on her face. "Oh, I'm sweet like one? Thank you!"

"No. I hate mochi. And you are the human equivalent of it." Aoi retorted dryly, and turned his head away, much like a child would. Midori gawked at him, her mouth open wide. His eyes slid back to look at her for a moment.

"Close your mouth. You look like a carp."

Midori obeyed, her jaw snapping shut quickly. Ren glanced back and forth between the two of them, exchanging glares. However, as her eyes met Aoi's, a small grin played on her lips, vanishing as she looked away.

"Shall we go?"

Midori beamed up at her. "Yeah!" Her grip on Ren's arm tightened, bringing the two closer, and she threw a smug sneer at Aoi. The young boy's menacing gaze intensified, throwing daggers at the baka mochi. Two could play at that game.

"Hey, Ren?"

She twisted around as well as she could, and Aoi's hand curved around the crook of her arm. Ren blinked, then smiled, and Aoi's cheeks reddened. Midori didn't miss it, and she glared. Aoi hardly noticed. He was trying to hide his embarrassment, even though it was foolish to feel such an emotion.

'It's just to get back at Midori. It doesn't mean a thing,' He told himself. After all, he liked Misaki.

It wasn't long before they reached the school. Midori's friends called over to her from across the courtyard.

"I have to go, Ren." She tried planting a kiss on her cheek, but Ren deftly avoided it, hugging her instead. Midori giggled in her annoyingly fake high pitched tone, and left, waving goodbye.

"I'm going to kill her." Aoi growled, his eyes glinting as if he was trying to burn her as she skipped off. Ren laughed, patting him on the back.

"Come on, let's go. I'm in class 1A, by the way."

"First floor. That's my class, too." Aoi didn't understand, but he was sort of happy they were in the same class. He just hoped Midori wasn't.

... ... ...

"Well, here we are." Ren said, stating the obvious. Aoi's hand was still clinging to Ren's arm. Noticing this, he let it drop, embarrassed.

"Hey, Ren!" A voice called. Aoi lifted his eyes. It was Ren's loud friend, Gintarou. Everyone in the room looked up, and an uproar broke out. Everyone flocked to Ren, pushing Aoi away from her. He strained to see over the heads of the crowd, catching glances of girls falling over themselves just to touch Ren's clothes. Her bloody freaking clothes, for goodness sake. Aoi didn't care. Why should he? But he continued standing on his toes just to keep her in his sight, trying and failing to push through and reach her. He convinced himself he was simply trying to reach her because she was his friend. But he knew, deep down, it was a lie.

He had no idea why he felt compelled to be close to her.

It didn't matter. He couldn't break the barrier of students, and left, heading for a seat by the window. For once, he felt totally alone.

He hated it.

... ... ...

The students had finally left Ren some peace, and she had come to stand next to Aoi, smiling softly. The heavy feeling that had plagued the young boy lifted, and he joined in small conversation with her.

Until Midori came in, and rudely broke the quiet atmosphere.

"Ren-chan! Are you in this class, too?" She squealed, skipping over to them.

Great. Stupid Mochi would be in this class. Aoi was torn between hanging himself or attempting to do such to Midori, drooling all over Ren, who looked quite uncomfortable to see her as well. Midori seemed to notice Ren's reluctance, and her advances were more forced.

"Yep." Ren confirmed, answering her question. As if it wasn't obvious.

"So am I. You guys are new, so I'm your sempai." Aoi interjected, his face blank and his voice eerily monotone.

Midori turned reluctantly to Aoi. "Oh really?" The phony smile returned. "How do you feel about that?"

'How do I feel? You aren't my therapist. And as for my feelings, I want to go find a harpoon gun and fire it into your smug little face.'

He felt it wise to keep these words to himself, and instead decided to pull the adorable teen girl persona back into action. He pulled it off much better than Baka Mochi ever could.

"Really excited, Mochi! It will be so fun to have you guys in this class!" Aoi sang cheerfully, and many of the students heard him. He hid his smirk as they began talking about him. He had the entire student body in the palm of his hand.

"Aw, Aoi-chan is so cute!"

"She is really nice, isn't she? A bit reserved, but still!"

"Maybe her and I can be friends!"

Aoi smirked. Everyone in the room, boys and girls alike, adored him. Midori, however, looked absolutely livid.

"My name isn't Mochi." She responded flatly.

Aoi pretended to pout. "But you are so cute, just like one! Much cuter than me."

The boys quickly contradicted this. "That's not true, Aoi-chan!"

"Yeah, you're cute, too!"

"You look just like the adorable net idol, Aoi-chan!"

Midori's ears perked up at this, and she grinned at Aoi evilly. "Whoa, you do! It's uncanny, really, that the only difference is your hair color!"

Everyone turned to Midori, the smiles wiped from their faces. But she ignored them, and continued.

"How funny, you guys are practically the same person! Maybe we should bleach your disgustingly shiny hair, and you could almost be her! Your hair wouldn't be as pretty then, though. It would fit your lousy personality, you worthless piece of-"

Crack!

The room, in mere seconds, became entirely silent. Aoi stared, shocked, as Midori cupped her cheek, already red and swelling from the impact. Everyone gaped at the unfolding scene, whispers being quickly passed among the students.

"Did you see?"

"He hit her-"

"Such a loud mouth-"

"She deserved it-"

Midori looked up at her assailant, tears forming in her eyes. "Ren?"

There was a shadow over Ren's eyes. "I don't like nasty girls, Midori. You're a cruel, condescending girl, and though you have a pretty face, it takes more than that to get what you want." He cupped her face, his expression pitying. "I think you should leave."

The flame haired girl, with tears now streaming down her face, gave Ren one last broken-hearted glance before dropping her face into her hands and running out, her sobs muffled as she fled. The other students cleared a path for her.

Gintarou let out a low whistle. "Talk about rude. That girl needs an attitude adjustment, eh, Ren?" He nudged his friend, who had fallen silent. Aoi glanced at her. Ren's eyes were hidden, concealed by her hair.

"Hello? Earth to Ren." Gintarou waved a hand in front of her face, while Aoi gazed at her, concerned.

She snapped out of her silence, blinking back to reality. "Oh, yeah. Girls with personalities like that? Not attractive at all." Yet the words sounded true, it was obvious to she herself didn't approve of her actions.

However, the response worked for Gintarou, and he continued babbling on about other meaningless things, but it was clear that Ren wasn't hearing a word. She stared out the window, and Aoi swore he saw a tear glistening on her cheek for a moment. But it was gone a second later, when he looked back. Did it bother Ren, being cruel to another person, even if they deserved it?

But that was the true question. Did Midori really deserve it?

He honestly didn't know.

... ... ...

School flew by unbelievably fast, and the Midori incident had all but been forgotten. Ren stated she had plans for the evening, ducking out of going out with Gintarou and the other guys. The moment they left, she turned to Aoi, her eyes bright with excitement.

"Are you free around, say, six-thirty?"

He studied her eyes, which had been near melancholic at the beginning of the day.

"Yes, no, maybe?"

Aoi shook out of his thoughts, and gave a swift, too-eager nod, trying not to seem...well, too eager. Despite his attempt, Ren smiled, once again seeing right through him.

For some reason, he didn't find it so annoying anymore. But he could tell behind her smile was pain that he couldn't fully understand.

But he could fix the problem. Hopefully.

... ... ...

"Hey."

Midori expected it to be Yuma, or Reishi, or even Maiko.

Most definitely not Aoi Hyoudou.

Her curiosity morphed into a face full of hate. "What do you want?" She all but growled. "I get that you can't stand me-"

"I'm sorry."

"I don't want to hear it, you..." Midori skidded to a stop. "Wait, what did you say?"

"I..." He took a deep breath. "I'm apologizing for earlier."

She looked taken aback. Then suspicious. "How do I know this isn't a trick? Because you-"

"Look, you have no idea how Ren feels. S-" He coughed, catching himself. "He feels terrible. And...so do I."

"How would you know?"

"She was crying, okay?!" He yelled, exasperated.

Too late, he realized his mistake.

Midori stared at him, her eyes wide.

"You just said 'she'."

He tried denying it. "No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did."

"No, I didn't!"

She crossed her arms, her jaw set, and her face entirely serious. "Quit lying."

Aoi could see he had lost. He heaved a sigh. "Okay, yes. I slipped up. But-"

"Do NOT tell me Ren is a dude. I'm just surprised you know. You don't seem like the type of girl to be into that kind of thing."

Now he was really lost. "What?"

"Aoi. You're an idiot." She waited, but his face remained blank. She sighed. "I know that Ren is a girl."

Something in his head clicked. "You're a lesbian?"

Midori sniffed disdainfully. "Bisexual. I swing both ways." Her eyebrows arched high, practically disappearing under the cover of her bangs. "But I really didn't stamp you as one."

Aoi was appalled. "I'm not a lesbian." He said, the disgust clear in his voice. He wasn't even a girl.

"Ouch, I'm insulted. But really, why else would you hang all over a chick like that?"

Well, crap. Aoi had really dug himself a hole. Really, a whole freaking grave. How would he explain his way out of this one?

It was sad how painfully obvious it was.

"Midori, Ren isn't the only cross-dresser in Seika."

Her eyes were as large as saucers, before they narrowed deviously, glinting in the sun. "Well, isn't this delicious."


	3. Chapter 3: Boiling of Emotions

Six-thirty arrived in what felt to Aoi as mere seconds. He had been able to convince Ren to instead come over to his place, and was grateful that his aunt had to work today. Really, she had to work practically everyday, being the manager and all. Still, time with no adults around made everything easier, whether he had friends over or not.

Aoi had barely finished tidying up when the doorbell rang out. He placed the broom back in the broom closet where it belonged, and went to answer the door. Out of habit, he rose to stand on his toes and peeked through the peephole, even though he knew who it would be. Rolling back on the balls of his feet, he opened the door, and his guest walked in.

"Come on in." He said. She paused at the door, and her eyes ran over him, measurably surprised.

"Aoi?"

"Yup."

She smirked. "It's interesting. You barely look like the same person."

Aoi let out an aggravated sigh, tugging on his collar. He was currently dressed in a polo and khaki cargo pants. It was uncomfortable, but necessary for the moment.

"You make a pretty attractive boy, you know. Why ever did you start dressing like a girl?"

He scowled. "Take a seat. I'll explain in a moment...Maybe."

She smirked but obeyed, and finally noticed the snack on the short table before her. It was a good-sized plate, filled with mochi and an assortment of daifuku flavors. She couldn't hide the amused smile on her face, and delicately picked one up.

"Does this make me a cannibal by eating this?" She asked, attempting to break the blue haired boy's serious facade.

It worked; Aoi let out a snicker, his mouth twisting into a small grin.

"Shut your mouth, Midori."

... ... ...

Ren rang the doorbell, and folded her hands neatly, waiting for the boy she already considered a good friend to open the door. She heard a call of 'One second!', and smiled to herself. Aoi, even before she had met him in person, had struck her as a very clean and meticulous person. It was very refreshing. That was likely the reason for the delay.

A few moments passed before door swung inward, revealing an attractive blue haired boy with severe eyes. It took her a moment to realize the handsome boy before her was Aoi.

The strength of her stare must have embarrassed him, because a light blush warmed his cheeks. He averted his eyes, focusing on her attire. She had chosen a rather unisex outfit; if she hadn't worn her breast binder, she would have appeared as a tomboyish, maybe even athletic girl.

"Hello, Aoi-chan." She said politely.

"Hey." He responded, stepping aside, waving a hand to invite her in. She entered, glancing around. Yep, he had definitely been cleaning. Everything shone and sparkled, and the fresh smell of Pine Sol clung to the floor and furniture.

"This way." He directed, and took the lead. She fell in line behind him, following, even though she already knew the basic layout of the house from her visit earlier. As they came into the living room, she became distracted by a cluster of picture frames, practically every one of them including Aoi. A particular one caught her eye: a small picture of him and the girl from the cafe- the one Ren had kissed on the cheek, named...Misaki?- all the Maid-Latte employees, a darkly tanned woman she didn't recognize, and a tall blonde boy next to Misaki. Both the blonde boy and Aoi, dressed like a girl, had a hand on one of her arms, with Misaki turned and berating the tall boy. Her eyes, however, settled on Aoi's hand, holding the maid's arm much like he had held hers this morning. He was leaning close to her, giving a warm smile. He never smiled like that in Ren's presence.

The smile was clearly for this Misaki. Even though she hadn't done anything wrong, Ren still felt a faint resentment towards her.

"Hi there, Ren."

A voice that didn't belong to Aoi broke Ren out of her thoughts. She straightened and turned, her eyes rising to a red-headed girl that she recognized easily.

It wasn't easy to be civil to someone that had been so rude, and certainly not any easier to talk to someone you had slapped across the face in front of a crowd of people. Especially when you regretted it. But she couldn't bring herself to be mean in the company of Aoi, so she did the first sensible thing that came to mind.

She held out her hand. Midori stared at it in mild surprise and confusion.

"Truce?"

The flame haired girl grinned crookedly, all awkwardness forgotten, and gripped Ren's hand tightly. They stood there for a moment, their faces concentrated. After a moment, Midori's voice rang out.

"Ow, okay, uncle!" She laughed. Ren laughed as well, relaxing. It dawned on Aoi; they were testing each other's strength. How classic. He heaved a overly dramatic sigh, and the two girls smirked before taking a seat; Ren falling gracefully, and Midori flopping down with her limbs thrown about unceremoniously. The boy sat as well, running a hand through his hair. Ren found the boyish gesture funny. Aoi certainly had changed in just one day. She couldn't help but wonder if her influence had anything to do with it.

"Okay, Ren? I'm going to go out on a limb and assume you know that Midori is a lesbian?"

"Bisexual." Both girls said in unison. Aoi let out a short laugh, and continued.

"And you know that she knows the truth about you being a girl." It wasn't a question, and the lack of surprise in her eyes proved he was correct.

"Okay. Well, um... I guess that's it."

"How does it feel to be the only one in the room who's a dude? Me and Ren could double-team you." Midori waggled her pencil-thin eyebrows, a mischievous smile on her face. Aoi flushed a bright crimson.

Ren and Midori couldn't help it; the expression on his face set them off in a fit of giggles. His cheeks grew impossibly hotter, and his eyebrows pushed down over his eyes.

"S-shut up!"

Ren's bright laughter continued, but the girl next to her cut off abruptly, and the devilish glint returned to her eyes, the gears in her head turning. Clearly, Midori was concocting a plan, and her glances at both Aoi and Ren indicated who it involved. It sent a shiver through Aoi, and the look quieted Ren, who studied the ginger girl incredulously.

"You know, I think I wanna play a game."

Aoi swallowed. "A game?"

"Yeah. Midori wants to play dress-up."

... ... ...

"I can't believe I allowed this. In my own house!"

Aoi was still fuming. Midori -curse her!- had managed to get both Aoi and Ren into clothes that matched and accentuated their true gender. And then she had sent them off, to go on a date to none other than Maid Latte. He insisted to himself it wasn't a date. After all, he barely knew Ren. It was a lie that wasn't going to work much longer, but he planned on wearing it as thin as he could. It did the job for now.

Still, he could feel his sanity ebbing away with each step.

Ren, on the other hand, looked absolutely fine. Either she was excellent at hiding her discomfort, or she simply didn't feel any. It was impossible to tell, as both of the alternatives were equally likely. This, along with the extremely boyish attire Midori had forced him into, did not add up to a good start to the evening. That Baka Mochi was going to pay dearly.

"Aoi?"

The blue haired boy steered his mind away from hostile thoughts and felt them drift to his...date? No, that wasn't the word. Ren was cool and all, but he couldn't think of her as anymore than an acquaintance. Anyway, there was someone else who he liked as more than a companion. Someone who... probably would never know how he felt. He was much too cowardly to confess.

"Aoi."

"Huh?" Aoi responded, sounding mentally incompetent.

The girl gave a worried, thin smile. It didn't suit her. "We're here."

Glancing up, he realized she was right. "Go on." He said, sounding rude. He didn't care; his mind was on more important things. Ren gazed at him for a time, but he paid her no mind. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her turning to enter. He followed her in, and they were quickly seated. Aoi absentmindedly noticed the lack of customers. They took their seats, though this was intended to be a social place, neither of them spoke. It wasn't long until a maid came to ask for their order. Aoi forced himself to concentrate on the menu, and was almost successful in losing himself to the various dishes, until a voice broke the awkward silence.

"Aoi? What are you doing here?"

Looking up, he was surprised to see Misaki. Which, really, didn't make sense; she did work here, after all. He didn't want her to think he was with Ren, and racked his brain for a coherent response, an excuse, anything.

"Mi-Misaki! Uh, hi."

He sounded like a complete moron. Luckily, Ren put on her pretty girl face and came to his rescue.

"Hello. Misaki, is it? It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Ren." She gave the older girl a friendly smile, which the dark haired maid returned. It had worked, more or less; Misaki's attention had been drawn away from him.

"Likewise." Her eyes flickered to Aoi. He could see she was suspicious. So much for being invisible, which had been his hope. Or at least make Ren disappear.

"So, how do you know Aoi?" Misaki asked curiously.

"Well, I-"

"She's just some chick from school. She just dragged me here. I don't even like her." He blurted out. He noticed the hurt shoot across Ren's face, but he ignored it, and continued ignoring her as she rose, a shadow hiding her eyes. Misaki wasn't looking at Aoi, but stared at Ren, an expression he couldn't recognize on her face. It scared him, and he felt like his hopes of ever getting Misaki to like him were slowly fading away.

"Goodbye, Aoi."

He didn't respond, and Ren stared at him. He didn't even grace her with a response. As she left, Misaki began to leave too. Aoi moved to stand and follow.

"Misaki-"

He was interrupted as she grabbed the collar of his shirt and judo-flipped him over her shoulder. He hit the ground with a heavy, painful thud. The cafe fell silent, and he caught a glance of Satsuki along the sidelines, a disappointed mask over her usually cheery face.

"You can't see it. You're an idiot."

He refocused on the girl above him. "What?"

"That girl needs your attention. Why you would ignore her, I cannot fathom. Why?"

He didn't answer.

"WHY?!"

A strange courage, a new-found power, surged through him. And he found himself telling her exactly why.

... ... ...

Aoi walked home, his walk slow and unsteady. He wasn't thinking about his destination, or his path. All that was on his mind was the scene that he kept playing over and over in his mental theater.

_"I like you."_

_She stared at him, her anger vanquished and replaced with shock. He had caught her off guard, that's for sure._

_"W-what?"_

_"Misaki. I like you."_

Her response had been nervous, of course. But she had made one thing clear.

_"I'm sorry."_

She didn't feel the same way. She did have a boyfriend. But the pain of rejection for someone like Aoi was more than a blow to the emotions. It was a fatal strike on the self- esteem.

As he shuffled forward, he found himself stopping in front of a house that seemed familiar. He shook away the feeling, instead moving to face the street. It was over dramatic, but for a second, he considered it. Stepping in front of the line of cars... It would be fast. Hopefully.

But it would be stupid. Killing himself over something like this? It would upset... someone. He couldn't think of their name...but he could imagine them. He wanted to find them. But as he began to leave the curb, his foot slipped, and he felt himself begin to fall.

"You idiot!"

A hand shot out and caught his wrist, yanking him forward. Aoi and the stranger tangled, and Aoi found himself on bottom, pinned. He pulled out of his mind and came back to reality. He recognized the person.

"Get off me, Gintarou." He said coldly.

He glowered. "Make me, you scumbag." The red haired boy jerked Aoi to his feet, gripping his collar angrily.

"I ought to break your scrawny little neck."

"But you won't, Oniisan."

Both boys directed their attention to someone hidden in the shadows. Stepping out, Aoi wondered how he never saw the similarities between the siblings.

"Midori? You and Gintarou are siblings?"

She pointedly ignored Aoi. "Oniisan, let him go."

Reluctantly, he released him. Aoi pivoted to face her. "Thanks, Midori." He said sincerely.

Her response was to slap him across the face. He retaliated instantly, shoving her.

"Don't touch me." He hissed. It seemed Midori wasn't here to help him. She stopped forward.

"You destroyed her! Why can't you help her?" Her cries grew more shrill as she swatted at Aoi. The teen boy was stunned. What was this about?

When he voiced his confusion, she let loose a terrible, broken laugh.

"You really don't know? Ren, you piece of crap! You keep breaking her. You-" She choked off, tears overwhelming her. Gintarou comforted her in a half-hug, his critical eyes tearing Aoi apart. But he really didn't understand.

"Ren? What? I don't know who you're talking about!"

The red haired boy looked at him piteously, as it he understood Aoi's pain. "Come on. You look like you need help." Gintarou sighed. "A lot."


End file.
